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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

357 Carcano Project


8uck5nort

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This is the a Carcano that has been rebarreled to 357 Mag. I have carved the stock from the left over claro walnut piece from my other Carcano project I was working on a while back. It is about 55% completed. Have alot of detail work left including building out the bottom metal and trigger guard. I am using hardware store stock 3/4 x 1/8 inch aluminim to that. I plan on tapping for scope mount. Not sure exaclty how yet, but I'm working on it. May even send the bolt to have it further turned down. Will be sandlasted and duracoated. Plan on using this guy for upcoming 2010 deer season.

 

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  • 3 months later...

Guys need some advice/help.

 

I am in the final stages on this project. I'll get some updated pics soon. However, I have run into an issue. I got the rilfe barrel threaded on and tightened in by barrel vice after tapping the reciever for scope mount. So it's on and timed to the tick mark on the receiver. The problem is the bolt will not close when a cartridge is loaded in the chamber. the bolt handle stops about at a 45 to 40 degree angle when rotating down to the closed position. I am assuming this is just before it engages the lug raceway. The scope mount screws are not protruding in the raceway or interferring in any way, and the the bolt closes completely without a cartridge in the camber. Now I am pretty sure I know the answer to this, but thought I'd check with the group. I need to finish ream the chamber now that I have the barrel in posistion...

 

If that is the correct answer then this is the tool I should need, right???

 

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=766407

 

Please let me know if I am off base here. I am so close to completely wrapping up three to four rifles now I can taste it.

 

Thanks for all your help,

 

Darin

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am down to the final stages on the stock and metal finishing. I have set August 15th or August 22 as the day I am going fire up my parkerizing and duracoat finishing lines so I hope to have the stock work done by then as well. It will be the First or second week of September before I can actually put a few round through it.

 

Here is some progress pics

 

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Darin, I've been following this project off and and on for a while. This is a really creative use of an old Manlicher action. I may have missed it, but how did you make the magazine? The old Carnaco's all used rimless ammo with the Manlicher clip. I can see that you've replaced that entirely. As an aside, one of those in the long rifle configuration was my first military rifle. I bought it at a JM Fields store for $7.50 when I was 14. I rode my bike to the store, paid my $$ and rode home with the gun and 20 rounds of ammo. Oh how things have changed.

 

Bill

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I tried several different ideas to get a pistol mag to work, but it just was too much hassle. I ended up with more or less a single shot with a built in, crude 1 shell capacity, blind box mag. No spring or plate to push up the second round. When the fired shell ejects you can quickly rock the rifle forward and a built in ramp guides the next shell up so you can manually push into the chamber. It was the best I could do with my limited skills and resources, but it does work. I do alot of stand and blind hunting so I usually don't need a rapid second shot, but I wanted at least something faster than fishing in my pocket or belt to get a second shell in case I did need a second shot.

 

I bought this carcano off of gunbroker a while backe for around 60.00 dollars delivered. I got the stock blank off of ebay for like 15.00 dollars. The rest of the materials put together are probably another 60 to 80 bucks. To date this is a sub 200 dollar project. I just hope it shoots good enough to take a deer down. I will count it as a success.

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That magazine sounds like a perfectly good arrangement for the sort of hunting you described. I am amazed at the nice wood for $15, and your woodworking is great as well. I imagine that you can load that 357 up pretty hot in that big old Mannlicher action. Have you gotten it to the test firing stage?

 

Bill

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Unfortunately I have not fired it yet. I am going for the all or nothing approach. After I get it done I'll see how it shoots. Soon. Hopefully I'll have the metal work finished by End of August and the duracoat will have time to completely cure. I think I might get to pump a few rounds thorugh by first of September and my youngest son may take it on the early youth hunt by late September (if it shoots). We will see.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This one is done enough for hunting season this year. May do some more with the stock bedding and duracoat touch up after deer season. I will be taking to the indoor range for boresighting and initial 25 yard shoot. Will report on what groups I am getting.

 

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Well I got 10 rounds through it yesterday after work. The first five were wad cutters I bought from the local gunshop and they flew everwhere... I had some winchester hollow points and those finally got on the paper at 25 yards. Adjusted the sope a bit and then put a sub inch, three shot group, just to the left of the bullseye. Still have some tweaking to do before Sept Youth, but it looks like I got something to work with. It ejects the shells fine, and it is fairly easy to load the shell in the chamber by hand and the crude mag well/ramp keeps another one handy for a quick load and followup shot.

 

I am handloading some .357 honady leverevolution bullets tonight to see if I can get the grouping tighter for deer season.

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